Kidneys are vital organs that play a vital role in keeping the body healthy. They help to produce urine by a process called blood filtration. They help to remove toxins and waste products from the blood Which is passed out along side urine.
Kidney infections are very dangerous. Kidney (renal) cancer causes about 14,000 deaths annually with 63,990 new cases diagnosed each year. Help keep kidneys operating happily and healthily by enjoying these drinks. In fact, one might be growing in your garden right now without you knowing it.
Dandelion Tea
Everyone knows the annoying dandelion, but did you know it is a healthy food source. The entire dandelion is edible and is particularly good for your kidneys. Dandelion tea is a good source of vitamins A, B-complex, C and D, iron, potassium, and zinc. It is a diuretic (make you urinate more) and replaces potassium lost in urine.
Dandelions are used in Native American medicines to treat kidney disease. It’s an anti-inflammatory and dissolves kidney stones. Check with a doctor first and use it only for a month at a time.
Beet Juice
Beet Juice is a terrific kidney cleanser and will improve your liver health as well. Beet juice is full of anti-oxidants that remove free radicals and the beets increase urine acidity. This helps remove calcium decreasing the chance of developing kidney stones. Beets help cleanse your blood, supporting that part of the kidneys’ job.
A quick internet search yields many beet juice recipes, ranging from lemon/ginger/beet to a spicy basil/beet to watermelon and beet juices.
Ginger Tea
Ginger is one spice with a lot of health benefits. Research backs up the benefits of ginger. It removes free radicals and decreases inflammation associated with kidney disease.
Grate unpeeled washed ginger into hot water, cover it and allow it to step for 5 or more minutes. If you need a sweetener, add a touch of honey and enjoy. This tea will help a cough and sooth an upset stomach, including morning sickness. It may also lower cholesterol levels and fight infections.
Stinging Nettle
Stinging nettle is a plant with a long history of uses in traditional herbal medicine. It is known to decrease inflammation and is high in anti-oxidants. Stinging nettle is approved for use in several European countries for treating kidney ailments. Because it is a diuretic, stinging nettle helps flush bacteria from the urinary tract. Drink an extra glass of water with each cup of tea to help the kidneys flush.
Stinging nettle can be an allergen and pregnant women shouldn’t drink stinging nettle.
Lemon Juice
Most people have heard about lemon juice for fat flush and liver cleansing. Lemon and orange juice contain citrate that helps remove calcium from kidneys, thereby preventing the growth of kidney stones. Squeeze four or five lemons into a quart of cold water and drink.
Squeeze your juices from fruit because store brought varieties have a lot of added sugar and the pasteurization process breaks down nutrients.
Cranberry Juice
Cranberry Juice is a popular and generally effective treatment for bladder infections. Since it gets filtered through the kidneys first, cranberry juice may help keep kidneys healthy. Bladder and urinary tract infections are unpleasant. Kidney infections that result from bacteria traveling from the urinary tract to the kidneys can be deadly. Cranberry juice can also prevent kidney stones.
Choose cranberry juice, not concentrate or cocktail. Straight cranberry juice can be a bit tart, so dilute with water.
Turmeric Tea
Turmeric Tea is another spice with amazing health properties. It is a powerful anti-inflammatory and known to stop inflammation associated with chronic kidney disease. Turmeric appears to stop leaky gut, also associated with chronic inflammation.
Turmeric lowers blood pressure, the second leading cause of kidney disease. Since it also improves liver function, drinking turmeric tea is a terrific kidney cleanse.
Add one teaspoon of ground turmeric to boiling water, simmer for 10 minutes. Add a bit of lemon juice and a pinch of black pepper.